1932

Abstract

Numerous bacteria have been isolated from within plants, and many reported from xylem, but only three species of xylem-limited bacteria (XLB) that are fastidious in cultural requirements, are plant pathogens, and exclusively occupy xylem, have been well characterized. Two XLB, and , are transmitted by sucking insects that feed on xylem sap but are not transmitted mechanically from plant to plant. In contrast, is mechanically transmitted to plants by cutting tools. All of these XLB occupy a highly specialized yet diverse ecological niche: the water-conducting systems of an extremely wide range of plant hosts. A variety of detection methods are available as diagnostic aids; each method has advantages and disadvantages; no single method is best for all uses. Molecular and genetic comparisons of strains of XLB lag behind progress being made for many other plant-pathogenic bacteria, but such studies are needed to answer important questions: () How do XLB move from cell to cell within plants? () What are the physiological and genetic bases of plant host specificity for XLB? () Why are only xylem-feeding specialists vectors of (and probably ), when many leafhoppers feed regularly (but not continuously) on xylem?

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.phyto.34.1.131
1996-09-01
2024-10-11
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.phyto.34.1.131
Loading
  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error